10-18-2009, 01:52 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-18-2009, 02:31 PM by Rebbitzin Goldberg.)
Firstly, there is a misconception here, that there are no longer any appreciable number of Jews from the 10 Lost Tribes.
While it is true that a vast majority of the populations of the 10 northern tribes were exiled and lost, there were Jews of those 10 tribes that happened to be in Judea at that time, so they were able to avoid being exiled. (Not to mention that Judea included two adjacent tribes, Judah and Benjamin.) The remaining Jews from those other tribes married and raised families within Judea, and by now have many descendents who have blended into the general Jewish population. (The tribal affiliation of a Jew is determined by that of his or her Jewish father.)
Any descendents of the assimilated 10 Lost Tribes who are no longer Jews (as defined by maternal descent) will not be brought back as Jews in the Messianic redemption, or converted to become Jews after Moshiach comes.
So this answers your question:
- No one who is actually a Gentile will be converted after the time of the Messianic redemption, regardless of whether or not they had Jewish anscestors in their paternal lineage.
- All individual Jews, whether they are presently aware of their Jewish descent or not, will be awakened spiritually when Moshiach comes by the Great Shofar (ram's-horn trumpet) that will blown from the Heavens to awaken their souls to their Messianic redemption from the exile (see Isaiah 27:13).
- Once all the Jews are returned to the Holy Land, Moshiach (with his prophetic insight) will inform each one of his/her tribal membership (see Maimonides, Laws of Kings, ch. 12).
While it is true that a vast majority of the populations of the 10 northern tribes were exiled and lost, there were Jews of those 10 tribes that happened to be in Judea at that time, so they were able to avoid being exiled. (Not to mention that Judea included two adjacent tribes, Judah and Benjamin.) The remaining Jews from those other tribes married and raised families within Judea, and by now have many descendents who have blended into the general Jewish population. (The tribal affiliation of a Jew is determined by that of his or her Jewish father.)
Any descendents of the assimilated 10 Lost Tribes who are no longer Jews (as defined by maternal descent) will not be brought back as Jews in the Messianic redemption, or converted to become Jews after Moshiach comes.
So this answers your question:
- No one who is actually a Gentile will be converted after the time of the Messianic redemption, regardless of whether or not they had Jewish anscestors in their paternal lineage.
- All individual Jews, whether they are presently aware of their Jewish descent or not, will be awakened spiritually when Moshiach comes by the Great Shofar (ram's-horn trumpet) that will blown from the Heavens to awaken their souls to their Messianic redemption from the exile (see Isaiah 27:13).
- Once all the Jews are returned to the Holy Land, Moshiach (with his prophetic insight) will inform each one of his/her tribal membership (see Maimonides, Laws of Kings, ch. 12).